I'm an idiot

I got gassed and pepper-sprayed last weekend. In the youth protests against the employment contract I wrote about last week, I wandered into this one section where people were throwing bottles at riot police, violently dismantling bus stops and park benches, and setting the occaisional car on fire. Gas tanks don't explode like they do in the movies, otherwise it could have gotten pretty unpleasant with that many people around. It was more of a muffled 'thump', and a little ball of flame. I guess they learned how to do it right, after those Pinto cars or whatever were blowing up in the 70s or whenever that was.

Anyway, every once in a while a group of the riot police would charge forward about 20 feet, sending everyone into panic, then use some pepper spray, and move back to the lines. Very uncool to be in a panicking crowd when you're on rollerblades. I only got knocked down once though, and then immediately switched to shoes. I stuck around for hours, watching these 'casseurs' (breakers) do their thing, wondering when the police would have their fill. It was a mix of kids from the suburbs, probably having been involved in the riots in November, plus a few anarchists. Not many at all, compared to the 30-80k people around them, but they kept the police on their toes.

Every once in a while someone would throw firecrackers, and once there was a firework like you'd see at a fireworks display on the 4th, but this time it was aimed at the cops. And the guys didn't do anything! They're pretty burly in their bulletproof vests, with their helmets and fancy boots and shields. It was probably more annoying than anything else.

Eventually the police started launching tear gas bombs to clear away the crowds. That shit is not fun! But there was a breeze, so I'd just skate to the other side of Place de la Nation and get some fresh air (I'd put my skates back on so I could get away quickly). The police advanced in groups across the square, looking like soldiers in Saving Private Ryan. Others were in long lines, backed by these trucks with barricades attached where you might expect a bulldozer blade. They spread across the entrance to the Place, and moved in a line down the boulevard, banging their shields with their nightsticks.

I played the dumb tourist at one point, before they started moving, when they told everyone behind the line (mostly journalists, a few scraggly protesters) to move back. They said they didn't speak English, but one guy managed to get out a 'you go there, away', to which I disrespectfully replied in fluent French, 'thank you sirs, it has been a pleasure, have a lovely evening'. I don't know why. It was pretty stupid really, cause if I'd gotten arrested or something maybe I would have gotten thrown out of the country. But it was funny for a moment. When you see that many cops and that much tear gas you sort of get caught up in the moment, even if it's not your cause or your fight.